For 8 months 119 soldiers abandoned KSF

Defence Minister Ejup Macedonia has said that they currently have trouble serving with food for KSF soldiers, but stressed that they are working to create self-continence for food security.

He said that after the operation of the operator's contract for food supply is in a transitional phase, where they are being supplied through contracts that are bound by the Central Procuration Authority, while he said only staffed by the Minister of Students and the Correcting Service.

Macedonian during the report to the Commission for Security and Defence said that the variety of food for soldiers could be lacking at this stage until the economic operator's situation, which is being handled by internal control mechanisms at the Ministry of Defence, is resolved.

Before MPs, Minister Macedonia also talked about the departure of soldiers from the KSF, where he said 119 soldiers have voluntarily left in 2024, but added that 1555 people have applied for 300 new recruit positions.

Minister Macedonia said it has not signed any classified contracts with any operators for food supply for KSF soldiers, but acknowledged that a similar contract is initially classified and later declassified, but that did not provide further details, as the commission's discussion said should be done by closed doors.

“We are currently in coordination and working to resolve the food service issue. The current contract is subject to treatment by internal control mechanisms at the Ministry of Defence, and when completed, we will provide additional information. Our focus is to build a new concept that will ensure self-continence in food for KSF. The concept that will continue. Normally we are in a slightly more difficult situation this period because of the stagnation of this contract issue and the transition of the food service with its own capacities, using the supply with central procurement authority. The reasons that have come so far are largely due to overextended years of the KSF's sustainable supply problem. From 2015 to 2024, extreme emergency contracts have been signed on the food issue. This has made us appreciate that we should look at and analyse this aspect and come to the conclusion that we should make a long-term solution to the food issue”, he said.

Failure to proceed with the same economic operators for food supply of KSF soldiers welcomed the deputy PDK's Hisen Berisha. He gave a few examples that, according to him, the same operators didn't send drinks as was previously in the contract, but soldiers have an immigration, as said by “Coca Cola”

However, he said that lack of food in the KSF barracks is of regret and concern.

I've seen the auditing report, and I've shown you what food and drink should hold on, because the soldiers are the young. You believe it says the original Coca-Cola, but he drank another one that I don't want to say his name but it's a shoe color, water and sugar with a drink to break his stomach. We've ruined our boys by drinking it. But the food-free remnant in the barracks are not reasoned with the new operator”, he stressed.

On the other hand, LDK deputy Anton Kuni said the defence ministry has had enough time to prepare since it was known that on September 30th it expires contracts for food supplies to soldiers.

He said providing food from the KSF itself is a concept that practices no member state NATO, but always contracts external operators.

It's the first time I realize that there's been a tendency for this procedure to be classified first as secret and then as extreme emergency procedure. We're talking about an issue you've been aware of when the economic operator's contract expires to supply food. This has been a long time to prepare and mete up all procedures on when that contract ends you select the best quality and quality operator. Always based on certain standards, especially those NATO standards... you know very well that one of the most reliable operators for NATO forces anywhere on the globe is an Albanian who supplies food. How is it possible when we have certified operators that are reliable for Great Britain, the US cannot find reliable operators for KSF”, Quinn said.

Despite that, LVV deputy Dimal Basha considered the self-responsability of the KSF in terms of soldiers' food necessary. He said the same economic operators (Beni Dona) have received tenders for 12 years in the KSF, but that there have been frequent cases of soldiers poisoning.

“So much when soldiers have been poisoned with the food they have received from these economic operators. It's a concern when an economic operator who has received the tender for 12 years in a row becomes the subject... I think concern for me has been the poisoning of soldiers. Some of the institutions' reports we have there that this economic operators the soldiers fed brought meat from Brazil and poisoned our soldiers. This is our concern”, Basha said.

Asked about reports with Deputy Defence Minister Shemsy Syla, Minister Macedonia said there may be disagreements, but there are no bad reports with the same.

He declined to discuss names of other companies that have applied for food supplies to KSF soldiers.

And I appreciate that in any society, around and every institution, people can have differences in how they look at things and evaluate certain issues. But that does not mean personal or interhuman bad reports with Deputy Prime Minister”, Macedonia stressed.

As for the departure of soldiers from the KSF, Minister Macedonia said that 119 soldiers have so far left.

But he said it is encouraging that for 300 cheap positions for soldiers have applied 1555 persons.

In 2024 we have 119 soldiers who voluntarily requested a break in service, which is about three percent of the current total in the KSF. Normally, for us, me and the KSF commander, every escape is painful. It is necessary and very necessary for us to have people in the KSF, especially those who prepare and educate to be part of the KSF. To that end, we've asked the Human Resources Directorate to make a personnel maintenance plan. It is not just a trend of departure for us, for example, in the United Kingdom are 6.5 percent of British military men who left the army during 2023 alone. But what's to be emphasised is the fact and we're encouraged that we have extraordinary interest in joining the KSF. So far there are 1555 applicants who have applied to become part of the KSF. This takes six members for a position of 300 positions of”, he added.

Larger details of the reasons for their departure and positions gave the task of acting director of Human Resources at KSF, colonels Arife Halili.

She said that in addition to the departure of 119 KSF members so far, there have been 77 pensions.

The “on the basis of statements by members themselves who have made out of service, over 80 percent are migration abroad and family reunions. There are a number of them who don't want to tell, and they only say about personal causes. There are other causes that are a very small percentage specified in their demands. There are also 119 who made requests and discontinued their ministry in late October or early November. There are 71 soldiers in rank who have suspended their service this year. 22 are in the officer's top rank, 17 are under the officer's second rank, and the rankings 7 euros, 8 euros and euro 9 that are under the officer we don't have a service break... It's a sergeant's rank and a staff sergeant, already at the lieutenant's rank and the mayor's, we have a volunteer service cut-off of<1>, she said.

But for the number of applicants, LDK deputy Anton Quinn, who compared to 2020, expressed concern that 5400 people applied to 400 countries.

“In pandemic time in 2020 for 400 new recruit countries have applied 5400. In 5400 you could get the best out, quality, and 300 countries apply 1500. That means there's a drop in interest”, Quinn stressed.

The commission then continued its closed media meeting.